Learn to Play Beautiful Things by Benson Boone

This track hits you right in the feels—and now, you can learn to play it beautifully on your acoustic guitar.

In this lesson, we explore a stripped-down acoustic version of Beautiful Things that stays true to the emotion of the original while making it accessible for beginner and intermediate players. We walk through an open chord arrangement with a capo on the 3rd fret, so we don't need barre chords (unless we want to level up and tackle the version closer to the studio recording!).

We'll learn how to capture the song's dramatic rise and fall by mastering our dynamics, rhythm, and strumming feel—no fancy fingerpicking or complicated riffs required.

🎸 What We'll Learn

Open chord progression using C, G, D, and E minor
A steady 12/8 strumming pattern with light and heavy accents
How to control volume to match the song's emotional arc
The difference between verse, pre-chorus, and chorus chord movements
Tips for muting and clean transitions so our playing sounds polished
An optional breakdown of the barre chord version for advanced learners

We also discuss arrangement choices—whether we're jamming solo, playing with friends, or performing for an audience—and how to make the experience feel intimate and powerful.

💡 Start with a simple strumming pattern and consistent rhythm before adding any flair. Fancy tricks don't matter if our groove falls apart! Don't be that campfire player who throws in a cool riff and loses the beat—focus on feel first!

🔥 Why this song is great for beginners and intermediate learners:

It's emotionally resonant, so it's motivating to practice
The repetitive chord structure makes memorization easy
Playing with dynamics builds real musicality, not just muscle memory
We can grow with it: start simple, then explore fingerstyle, or barre chords

We'll even get a quick demo of how the original version is played with electric guitar and layered parts so that we can experiment with it in a full-band or solo setting.

👉 Struggling with rhythm? Download the JustinGuitar Lessons & Songs App to help you play like the real deal.